Computer Reviews

I print a lot of pictures in my business. This is by far the best paper I have used. I have several types of printers, Cannon, Epson, HP and this works well with all of them. This is a great deal as far as price goes as well. I did a lot of research to find the least expensive to try this product out and this was the best price and the fastest delivery! Professional or family fun this is professional quality paper.

This is a very professional looking stock. You will not be disappointed. Great price for a super Luster finish.
Colors and image really pop on this stock. I use this stock on my Canon i860 and have NO problems at all. Dries fast and looks great.

I have an Epson 960 Photo Printer. I have tried various Epson photo papers with the printer and this is by far the best. The premium glossy paper was nice but I could see some bands through the image that were barely percepible even when the printer was new. With the Premium Luster paper the ink lays down beautifully and perfectly and the image has what I can only describe in words as a rich feel to it. Paper selection is very personal but if you have not tried this paper you owe it to yourself to run some of it through your printer. There's a good chance you'll be back for more.

This card works perfectly in my 8 megapixel Olympus C-8080 digital camera.

At the camera's highest resolution setting of 3264x2448 pixels with minimal JPEG compression (SHQ in Olympus terminology), I am able to shoot and store 130 pictures. This is approximately 3.9MB per image on average.

At 640x480 pixels with 'normal' JPEG compression, this xD card fits 5324 pictures. It's also very fast and well worth the money and convenience.

I also have the 256MB xD card as a bsckup in case I fill up the entire 512MB xD card before downloading the images to my laptop PC.

In my Fuji F700 camera this card will hold 343 6mp images, and almost twice that at 3.2mp. Can't wait to take my camera on vacation this summer. The nice thing about such a large card is you absolutely never feel like taking a picture would be a waste of space. It'll also hold (not at the same time obviously) about 7-1/2 minutes of 640x480 video with sound.

Transfer rates are blisteringly fast, too. And since the F700 comes with a docking station, I doubt I'll ever have to take the card out.

I use it for my 8 MP digital camera, and I'm pleased with how quickly it receives image data. Its miniscule size is both an advantage & disadvantage: so small it's easy to lose, but it's equivalent to 4 rolls of 36 exposure 35mm film.

I just got mine from J&R Music World a few days ago. Great shipment - fast, double boxed, etc. It took awhile to set the new receiver up, as I had over 50 connections on the back of my previous receiver. I had upgraded from a Kenwood model and the difference is substantial. The sound quality, particularly in music, is substantially better. The number of settings you can tweak for each particular input is awesome. A true audiophile's dream. Right down to being able to set individual crossover points for EACH channel for EACH input! The on screen display/programming is great and makes setup much easier. I would highly recommend this receiver.

If your looking for a receiver that has plenty of power and tons of features. Stop at this one and buy it now. I tried all kinds of receivers from the Onkyo, Denon, and the Sony, but this HK is head and shoulders above them all. The sound that this thing puts out is incredible, nice and rich and perfectly rounded out. The separation in movie soundtracks will blow you away, and the music end of the sound from this receiver is unparalled. If your worried about the low rating of power compared to others, don't fret, because this thing has "pure" power - it truly surppasses the Onkyo rated at 100 x 6. HK has perfected the high current power in these sereis models and you get no distortion at top end. You won't beleive your speakers could have ever sounded like that. As far as features and ease of use - even if you have a little knowledge of audio hook up, you'll have it done in no time. The remote let's you sit there and it will adjust everything automatcally for you. Don't let the price scare you, because you can find it for less - brand new! Just look around, I found it here at Amazon, thank you so much for letting me have it for so cheap! People don't waste your time with anything else, because HK has made this the ultimate machine. Just way too much to list and completely go over, just get it and you won't regret it! Also thank you JR music world for partnering up with Amazon for that price!

I purchased the Harmon Kardon AVR 525 for a newly-remodeled medium-sized upstairs living area. To be honest, I didn't have great expectations of the AVR 525. We have a theater system made up of Parasound separates in our larger downstairs recreation room, and I felt like I was lowering myself to buy a mere receiver! I went with it mainly because it had seven powered channels that would fit it the limited space I had available for gear. However, I have been surprisingly pleased with the AVR 525.

Of note is the ease of operation of the AVR 525. I pretty much set up the entire system without referencing the operations manual; including experimenting with the triple cross-over bass management system (I'll talk about this later). About the only thing that I needed to use the manual for is programming the remote and using the AVR 525's EzSet feature to balance the speaker system. The AVR 525's learning remote is quite good. I was able to program it for my DVD player, CD player/recorder, S-VHS player, plasma monitor and satellite receiver without sacrificing any important features.

I matched the receiver with a Bose Accoustimass 15 Series III speaker system and two Definitive Pro-Sub 200 sub-woofers. I have to admit, I am extremely impressed with the AVR 525. Discrete theater modes sound astounding in both Dolby and DTS. Stereo modes and multi-channel emulations are clear and distinct.

I find the Logic 7 emulation particularly impressive for stereo programming. To the point where I hooked my Creek Audio MC Phono-stage amp and Music Hall MMF-7 turntable to the AVR 525, and have thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks listening to vinyl recordings through seven channels. If you haven't done this, you have to give it a try!

A few comments on the AVR 525's triple cross-over bass management system. I found this to be a very useful feature. In fact, I achieved much better sound by getting rid of the Bose Accoustimass sub-woofer and using the triple-crossover bass management system for routing the bass through the Definitive Pro-Sub 200s. The ability to tune the bass management system for each of the emulation modes has been very useful, particularly for playback of vinyl recordings.

On the down side, the AVR 525 could use one more set of rear inputs. I maxed out the inputs with my current set-up. Fortunately, I have been able to connect my digital video camera through the 525's front inputs. The AVR 525 comes with two component-video inputs, one more would be nice. The unit runs quite hot. Given that the 525 is powering seventy watts through seven channels, this is not surprising. However, when setting up the AVR 525, ample ventilation space is required. All-in-all, these are minor points given the price-range of the unit.

What's quite amazing is that for around $650 the AVR 525 sounds pretty darned-near as good as my Parasound pre-pro and power amp system, which cost me over $5000. Granted, I am filling a much smaller room with sound. But watt-for-watt, the AVR 525 is a great sounding and full-featured receiver.

JBL S310 II is truly amazing. Sound is crystal clear and the bass is very deep as well. I own two of these and I have configured these as my front left & right speakers. I am using JBL N38 II as surround left & right, which is again a very nice excellent speaker set. The Rear Left & Right speakers are JBL N-Center II speakers. The Center channel is JBL - S - Center II, this unit is very powerful and produces crystal clear dialogues, and it's a 3-way speaker system. JBL 150W PB10 Sub woofer provides the low frequency effects.

All of the above mentioned items are powered and driven by Harmon Kardon AVR 525 7.1 Receiver. Harmon international has done a great job on all of these equipment, the AVR 525 produces crystal clear sound with excellent clarity. Even though this unit produces 70W per channel, it powerful enough to make an earthquake at -10 db.

I am very happy about my investment and the quality service of Amazon and J&R store.

I have nothing bad to say about JBL. Home speakers from the company that sells speakers to concert halls, rock shows and movie theaters? c'mon, how could you not love these guys? I've got these as my mains in my house, and I nearly cried the first time I heard them. I have never heard a speaker recreate the human voice that well in a home setting. Buy these, or the S312IIs or the S38IIs or ANY JBL speaker and you will not be disappointed. No joke, I use JBLs in the studio too.

I purchased these about four months ago b/c I am an audiophile and I watch a lot of movies. They are powered by a Yamaha RVX730 receiver. The sound quality from these two guys are great, the bass is perfectly adequate and will not make the neighbors wish you never moved in. I think they are slightly better for watching movies as it sounds like you are sitting in a theatre. They seem to be a little rough with music, but that might just be my receiver. For people that are space conscious I would look elsewhere b/c the two speakers are huge. They make my TV look inferior. Overall I am very happy with the purchase and would highly recommend these to anyone looking for floorstanding speakers. Plus they look nice and sleak.

I consider myself an audiophile, but I don't always have money to throw down for the high-end stuff. I took a chance based on the decent reviews this piece was getting here at Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised once I had it hooked up to my low cost receiver (SONY STR-DE545) to compliment my floor speakers and bookshelf speakers. The sound is clear and natural sounding and it even does well at high volumes. Granted I live in an apartment so I can't crank it that often, but when I do this speaker does the job admirably.

The only bad thing (and it is minor) is the speaker shielding isn't rock solid and if I put this directly on top of my TV it will distort the tube just a bit. Had to put it up higher on the entertainment center to get it away from the tv tube. Gave it 5 stars anyway, based on performance and of course value.

For reference, we use it mostly for DVD movies (at moderate volumes usually) and some TV programs. Very happy with its performance.

I upgraded to a surround sound receiver (mainly because I needed it to switch between s-video inputs), and decided to add some cheap surround speakers including the KLH center channel and subwoofer. I've been very happy with the results. I'm not an audiophile, but for my fairly simple needs, it makes a big difference in the sound quality and I've had absolutely no problems with it.

These are great speakers for the price. I have compared them to center channels costing three times their price such as the Polks, JBL, and even the Infinitys and the cheaper KLH 525 sound just as good (one may think that the sound is slightly flat when put against some 300+ dollar centers but when combined with a good sub, surrounds and fronts, the are probably the best value for the money)

With 4 mids and a tweeter, and 125 watt capability, I would recommend these to anyone on a tight budget who wants a high quality speaker.

One thing I don't like from this speaker is the housing is made of plastic...It makes itself look cheap. And it should be deep black not dark gray.

However, the weakness I found is not relevant to its performance. So, although I would give it 3 stars for style it certainly deserves 5 for value and performance.

These speakers are so mind-blowingly good i cant even think what to say about them. First off, they're wicked powerful. At 60 dB, (just over half their max output, which, by the way is 115dB) things are falling off the walls, the neighbors are calling the cops, parents are screaming at you, etc. I have never gotten the speakers up to their max, but i can say that a 60db, there is no distortion. Second, although they are expensive, think about what you get for your four benjamins- 5 speakers, and a sub, an amp, and a control tower. You would be extremely hard pressed to find a good home audio sub for 400 dollars- then you'd still need an amp, and other speakers, etc. So, considering what you get, the 400 dollar cost isn't really that much. The sub, conincidentally, is nice and powerful. It is also expandable. For a little more money, you can double your bass output, by buying a Klipsch SWS. There is even a port on the back of the sub to plug it into. The control tower is well designed, and gives you almost complete control over the system. The additional media plug in the control tower is nice (a standard mini-plug stereo input). It also has a headphone jack. My only problem with the control unit is that the knob sticks out like 2", which is kind of far for my tastes. The satellite speakers are well designed, and actually look pretty good. To sum things up, this system looks good, performs well, and the price is right. My only criticisms are small. It would be awesome if the speakers came with a wireless remote control. Also, at no fault of the speakers, if the speaker are still on after your computer is off, they buzz at a low volume. Now, neither of these reasons are reasons to buy anything else. Just one example of these speakers greatness before i go. Everyone has seen the scene in the "Matrix", where Neo bends backward to dodge Smith's bullet? Watching the Matrix with these speakers is the first time i have ever instinctively ducked while watching that scene. It sounded like the bullet was passing over you. Amazing. If you love good computer sound, these speakers are worth every penny.

I had a set of Promedia 5.1 speakers for a little over a year before they went out. The problem was in the amplifier, which would malfunction after a time for many users. When Klipsch became aware of this problem, they actually extended the warranty on the 5.1's to ensure that if people had this problem, their speakers would be replaced. So, let that stand as a testament to Klipsch's resolve to satisfy the customer.

Now, for the performance of the actual speakers: in summation, they are fabulous. I tested a lot of different products and read a lot of reviews before going with the 5.1's (and now the 5.1 ultra set my original speakers were replaced with). I use my speakers for music, games, and movies, with excellent results in each case. With music, I often upmix the signal to 5.1 surround, which provides a very immersive audio experience. The speakers themselves deliver very smooth, rich lows with equally impressive mid- and high-frequency response. The control panel allows the user to adjust the center, rear and subwoofer levels individually from 8 decibels less than default output to 15 decibels more than default, which is especially helpful for getting sufficient bass response at low volumes. The imaging of the speakers is excellent, with sound locations in games with EAX (or equivalent) four or five channel surround sound being accurately reproduced.
As others have said, the only drawback to these speakers is money. However, when compared to home theater systems, these speakers are a true bargain. They require no external amplification, a necessity of almost all home theater setups, and the subwoofer included is phenominal for this price range. One would be very hard-pressed to find a 200 watt subwoofer with dual 8-inch drivers for less than $400 just by itself, and this set of speakers includes just such a subwoofer along with 5 high quality satellites. Whatever your use of these speakers will entail, if you require years of satisfying audio reproduction, be it in a home office, appartment, bedroom, dorm, or otherwise, these speakers will not only meet your needs, but exceed them.

I want to confess a painful episode in my relationship with my Klipsch computer speakers, a relationship I've monogamously maintained since the 2 series.

I should admit first to being a computer gaming psycho. I have a system that's been featured in 2 gaming magazines in their "totally sick computer we'd all kill for" sections. The last profile showed my Harmon Kardon receiver and a JBL 6 speaker surround configuration. For that I'm eternally sorry.

I don't know what came over me. I guess I figured that spending 5 times as much as the 5.1 system would deliver better sound, ingender deeper jealosy, command just that much more salivation when I cranked the volume.

How wrong could one man be.

I don't know about the special horn positioning in the Klipsch, I'm not even too sure I understand what 400 watts really means in the grand scheme of things; I'm just that guy who walks into the store, says "gimme the dream system", goes home, plugs it in and expects it to be better than what it replaced. Well, in this scenario, when I cranked up the replacement to the 5.1, I was like "What the F@#$!!!".

It paled in comparison. The highs weren't the shrill "crack your eardrums" highs of the 5.1, the lows weren't the "neighbor's have been complaining, they say they hear gunfire coming from inside your home" type lows...

Needless to say, I went back to the 5.1. If you're in the market for "the best", for gaming, for MP3 listening, then you can't beat this system for the money.

This is my first Digital Camera purchase - and BOY am I glad I got the Kodak LS743! I have a husband & 2 daughters and I take pictures all the time-My film developing bill was high! Now I can pick and choose the shots I want to print. I can also create family albums on the computer - to eventually be put onto CD's & set to music!
They have the 5 megapixel camera's out, but I really don't think that I see that much of a difference with this 4 megapixel. I get Great photos-sharp & clear. And the zoom lets me be flexible with my shots. The color is awesome!-These pictures turn out beautiful!!
This is a smaller camera than any I saw. I like the sleek design.
You can also shoot 2 minutes of QVGA video. I haven't done enuf with this feature yet, but I know it's longer than some camera's on the market allow for video time.
I have used the Auto mode quite a bit while getting used to the camera, but it also has portait, close-up, night, sport, snow, & many other modes! It has flash, & red-eye reduction. You can even store email addresses in the camera & hit the "share" button to share special photos with your contacts. It comes with a rechargable lithium-ion battery and a sleek charger that you can plug into an outlet.
This camera is simple to learn & the pictures are amazing! I highly recommend this camera!

I've been considering a digital camera for almost a year, and my in-laws have a Kodak 6330 that they like a lot. Kodak's general ease-of-use was a definite draw to me.

I bought the LS743 yesterday, and it was very easy to set up and begin using. Battery life is excellent, and the battery is rechargeable (I bought a 2nd battery for only $20 to have a spare, too). The camera is compact but seems very well-put-together. My in-laws have a 6000 dock, and this camera will work on it, too.

The lens is an upscale lens that is supposed to be a bit better than Kodak's lower-end models - I haven't taken enough pictures yet to notice the difference.

I'd say the camera is excellent for beginners, but also there are plenty of features in the system for someone who wants to be able to adjust the shots on their own for a more-customized photo. (At least it seems that way from reading the user guide.) :-)

All in all, great little camera!

If you are a DP Pro, then please dont read this review. But, if you are like the majority who wants an easy, reliable Digital camera and 'MOST OF THE TIME USE BASIC FEATURES ONLY' person you must read on.

I bought this camera after doing lot of research in the net and feedback from my peers. When I got this, I was amazed to see the picture quality and easiness in using it. I was shooting with in 3 hrs after the Fedex guy left. (You've to charge the battery for ~3 hours before first use). I still have to invent all the advanced features and modes of the camera. But, if all DEFAULT and AUTO modes are this good, then I am sure it will be BETTER with advanced features. The battery life time is pretty good too.
Only concern is, the door for the output terminals (USB/Adapter),that looks bit shaky!

After my initial research, things got filterd in to just three items: One Sony model and two Kodak model, CX7430 and LS743. Sony may be great but it was not good for me because
1)Seen pathetic remarks about their customer service
2)It has only 90 days warranty.
If you combine both(1) and (2) above, its risky to buy their product. I dont beleive in buying extended waranty for electronic stuff because the technology changes rapidly and, in another 2 years, you'll find yourself in a situation to buy a new camera than paying for Extended warranty. Since Kodak has one year warranty and my 'platinum' credit card has another one year free extended warranty, I had to decide between CX7430 and LS743. It was a tough decison, because both cameras are good. But the LS743 is the one that got PCMAG's Editors choice award (...) Looks like, it was a perfect decision.

I HAD MY PRINTER FOR A YEAR AND IT IS THE BEST .I WOULD NEVER TRY TO USE ANY OTHER PRODUCT OTHER THEN ESPONS INK CARTRIDGES BECAUSE I BEEN TOLD THAT OTHER REPLACEMENTS HAVE DAMAGED THE PRINTERS.

Epson inks have been really good for me ever since I bought my first Epson printer 4 years ago. I have never had a cartridge go out on me. The ink quality is comparable to those from HP if not better. I would recommend that you stick with Epson ink and not use the other ink. The quality and ease of use is just not there. Overall a great product.

Epson has given my family one of the best printers we have ever had. The ink is perfect and lasts a long time!

I'm going to cover what hasn't already been written about. So, here are things that make this laptop stand-out or stink-up.

Pros:
- The Centrino Chip clocks at 1.5MHz; I have heard that this translates to a P4 2.5MHz processor. This part is confusing; just know that games and applications work fast.
- Screen checks in at 14.1" which is a good working size - slightly more to carry than those 12" screens, but much more useable and it leaves room in the chassis for a full-sized keyboard.

- Comes with internal DVD/CDRW which I find really cool (as opposed to external, which would be a pain to carry).
- AC adaptor is pretty cool. It's made so you can wrap the cord around it neatly when you're not using it, and then there is a little snap thing on the plug so the cord doesn't get unraveled.
- Lots of useful external ports (2 usb's, firewire, ethernet, modem, PCMCIA slot, video out, S-video out, etc). I especially like the optical out, which I don't use, but I still like it being there.
- Wireless works well. Go Centrino technology!
- Comes with many programs inside (Windows XP, MS Works, Picture It!, Jukebox, etc)
- The battery looks cool. If you take it out, there are some little led lights and a button you press that shows how much battery life is left.
- This is one of the sleekest designs and coolest looking notebooks around. If you want to stand out from all those other black books in the airport or commuter train, you won't go wrong with the 200.

- It comes with a comprehensive hard-copy user manual (yes, printed on real paper -- not a CD or web address).
- The battery is upgradeable.

Cons:
- Yes, battery life and speakers suck. Use the high-capacity battery and a pair of headphones.
- The mouse scroll, while it is useful, takes a long time if you use it to scroll down web pages because it moves the pages down slowly
- While the screen brightness key function works well, the audio volume adjustment is annoying to use. It doesn't respond to (function) (up) or (down) very well. hard to describe, but if you get a chance to actually play around with this laptop before you buy it, try the audio up down function and you will know what I'm talking about. What would have been better is a little manual scroll wheel on the side of the computer that would control the system volume.
-Maybe it's my computer, but the battery life status doesn't seem to be completely accurate. It goes up to 99% somewhat fast, and then stays there for another 10-15 minutes before it finally says 100% charged. It's the same with low battery status, where it doesn't fall below 9%. but it does give me a warning message. (But the LED light doesn't start blinking at low battery, like the manual said it would)
- No floppy drive. I guess buying a USB flash drive will do.
- Two usb ports. While it may be sufficient to some, I wish there were more. I guess buying a USB hub will do.
-Too bad there is only space for one pc card slot
-It would have been nicer if the ethernet port was in the back of the notebook so that the cord doesn't bother my left arm, but it's no big deal.
-I hate support programs. They take up space and I feel like I have a bunch of junk programs running every day. I say if you're confident of your computer skills and can take care of the little computer problems yourself, take them out.

Overall: Yes, battery life is bad. If you need more than 2 hours get a new 6-cell one for 100 bucks. Yes, speakers are bad, but what do you expect from a 4 pound laptop? This is cool looking, good performing system without the bulk. Highly recommended.

This computer is spectacular, it looks great and also runs well. It is very small, but the keyboard is of usable size and has a good feel to it (my old gateway notebook definitely had a bit of a flimsy feel to it).

A few things:
1) GET THE HIGH CAPACITY BATTERY. The stock battery is awful, but such is life. Don't order it from gateway though, check out other places, such as a particular online warehouse with a three letter name. I got mine for almost 1/2 the price Gateway was charging there, and the service was a lot better.
2) The speakers suck too. The computer is less than 1" think. What do you expect? They're finally beginning to come out with wi-fi products that will use your connection to stream music from your computer to your stereo. I can't wait to get my hands on one, until then, plug it into to your stereo or use headphones.
3) Adding more RAM is highly recommended. I added an additional 512MB that I got from a well-known auction site for $50. The difference is immediately noticable; XP devours RAM.
4) Download iTunes. Seriously, even if you don't want to download music from them, it has to be the most user-friendly (not to mention free and visually pleasing) music library managment software on the planet.
5) STAY UPDATED. Every time you read about an attack, its because people don't update their OS, antivirus, and firewall software/hardware. It takes a few seconds every few weeks, and any decent company will alert you to the updates automatically. This will also eliminate 99% of problems people may experience with their wi-fi connections; the software updates usually fix glitches that weren't anticipated when the product was manufactured (I use a D-Link DI-624 router, and it's been phenomenal).
6) You'll want to get a USB drive if you need to move files off-network regularly. They're compact, hold a lot, and have become really inexpensive. I ended up buying one and couldn't be happier. Or you can do as I used to: just email files to yourself and access them at your final destination (I had a habit of losing/leaving behind floppies when I was in college).

All that said, for the price, this system simply can't be beat. Even without all the extra BS I bought for mine, it's still a great notebook. It runs cool and fast and looks great. You won't find many other notebooks with these specs and functionality.

I wanted a sleek looking little laptop with a decent size screen and 512mb of ram... and I got all that and more! It does everything I need, never hiccups, it's lightweight... I'm really glad I bought it. It's beauty is not only skin deep, have a look at the specs :) It's great. The only complaint... buy a backup battery... the standard one runs out so quickly.

I bought this bag because i needed to haul my laptop out of the country with me. I found it to be very comfortable and i loved the million pockets to put every little thing i could think of in. However the zippers don't move smoothly, one is already completely broken and a few more are a struggle to get open and shut. Other than that the bag is well built, nicely cushioned, and well balanced.

This is a terrific backpack. I walk a mile or so to and from work, and I recently bought a Dell 600m midsize notebook, so I decided it was time to get a computer backpack.

This is a terrific bag -- it's extremely comfortable and well-balanced, with excellent build quality. The computer compartment is really well padded, and I'm pretty sure I could drop this bag or even toss it across the room and not damage my notebook. My notebook is only a 14", but the compartment appears to be able to hold one much larger.

It has a ton of pockets, and organization freaks will find a place for most anything. It has a decent-sized main compartment with little pockets for notebook accessories, and it has a separate file/paperwork compartment. This makes it really easy to pull out whatever it is you need without sorting through a mess of things that are jumbled together, even if you're as disorganized as I am.

In addition, it has a phone pocket on the strap (for easy access), some side pockets, a top pocket, and a back compartment with a whole bunch of little pockets inside it. Like I said, there's a place for most everything. I'll also be using this as a carry-on bag when I travel, and I've already found some good spots for toiletries and things like that to live.

The only reason I can think of not to buy this bag is if you need a full-sized travel pack or a really tiny mini-pack. For a normal-sized backpack, and for one that can double as a bookbag for college students, you can't do any better.

I like the fact that the bag is well padded and there are adequate pockets on the inside to put your notebook accessories. It has a nice rubberized bottom and the upper-end of the back straps are a continuation of the bag itself, not just some strap sewed on to. It also looks like a normal backpack so it's an inconspicous way to carry around your precious notebook.